That means that you would be charged on the same basis that a commercial freight truck driver would pay.Recreation advocates, which include boaters, campers, and recreational vehicle owners, would be gouged by a toll system that blindly bases charges on the total number of axles. Under the current system, the driver of a two-axle pickup truck towing a three-axle fifth wheel already pays the same--and unfair--$11.25 toll as a commercial big rig and trailer with five axles.
But with the rate increase, this same configuration would jump to $18 after July 20ll and $25 after July 2012. A two-axle motorhome towing a car would see a fee increase from $8.25 to $14 in July of 2011 and $20 in July of 2012.
An irony of this is fee schedule is that a motorhome could unhitch its toad before reaching the toll plaza and drive both vehicles over the bridge paying only $5 per vehicle, total $10, or half what towing it across would cost. If that make no sense to you, $20 to cross a bridge is even more senseless--unless the "rich" recreational vehicle owner is being selected to fill the coffers of the bridge department.
Toll Authority members say state law requires them to base tolls on the number of axles. The idea is that more axles means more weight and more wear and tear on highways and bridges, said Rod McMillan, the toll authority director of bridge oversight and operations. Oh yeah, my motorhome and toad inflicts the same wear and tear as a commercial big rig!
If this plan works, I can see bridge directors in other states passing their own fee increases and salivating over how many RV owners they can now soak for ridiculously high tolls.
No, in many cases we can bypass toll roads and, if we cannot, then we can pull over to the side of the road and unhook. If all RVers who are towing would stop first to unhook the bridge authorities will quickly get the idea that we won't stand for these ridiculous charges. For $10 I will gladly unhook. Perhaps if we create a hazard by pulling our big rigs over to unhook towed vehicles they will change their tune!
ReplyDeleteThe obvious solution to avoiding these escalating fees is to avoid the Bay area completely -- which make sense anyway, since the city is not designed for large RVs in the first place.
ReplyDeleteRather than taking US 101 up through San Francisco, RVers can skirt the area by taking I-5 north to Sacramento, and then west on I-80 to Hwy 37 in Vallejo. From there, they loop around the northern portion of the bay and pick up US 101 again just south of Petaluma.
Davy's Day said: "Perhaps if we create a hazard by pulling our big rigs over to unhook towed vehicles they will change their tune!"
ReplyDelete--Unless, of course, they find it much easier to issue you a $200 traffic citation (or at worse, arrest you and impound your rig). . .